What We Study

NIEHS intramural scientists have defined descriptive terms of particular relevance to their own research, and have ranked those terms accordingly. This search feature obtains best-matches with the terms you choose, and shows an overall score based on the scientific rankings.

Research

NIEHS research uses state-of-the-art science and technology to investigate the interplay between environmental exposures, human biology, genetics, and common diseases to help prevent disease and improve human health.

Environmental Stewardship

Research Highlights

The vision of the NIEHS is to use environmental health sciences to understand human disease and improve human health. Use the search box to see research highlights from NIEHS scientists since its founding in 1966.

About NIEHS

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) is expanding and accelerating its contributions to scientific knowledge of human health and the environment, and to the health and well-being of people everywhere.

In situ sensing system for the selective and sensitive detection of biological toxins in HABs

Researchers at the University of Texas, Arlington are developing a real-time sensor to monitor microcystins, a powerful biological toxin produced from cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms (HABs). Exposure to microcystins can affect the number and diversity of wild animal populations, cause bioaccumulation of toxins in the tissues of fish and shellfish, and indirectly affect other organisms through the food chain and eventually humans. The investigators are pioneering an optical sensor to detect multiple microcystins at trace levels, exploring an integrated chip-scale sensing node to automatically execute the sensing protocol, and developing a wireless sensor network to communicate data. The research team will deploy the sensor in a potential HAB site in the Great Lakes. Their work will generate an in situ wireless sensing network that can monitor microcystins in water resources sustainably and responsively while also communicating critical information to remote environmental and health authorities in real time.